Big Bad John Song

Every morning at the mine you could see him arriveHe stood six foot six and weighed two forty fiveKinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hipAnd everybody knew ya didn't give no lip to Big John.Big JohnBig JooooooohnBig Bad John

Nobody seemed to know where John called homeHe just drifted into town and stayed all aloneHe didn't say much, kinda quiet and shyAnd if you spoke at all, you just said "Hi" to Big John.

Somebody said he came from New OrleansWhere he got in a fight over a Cajun QueenAnd a crashin' blow from a huge right handSent a Lousiana fella to the Promised Land - Big JohnBig JohnBig JooooooohnBig Bad John

Then came the day at the bottom of the mineWhen a timber cracked and men started cryin'Miners were prayin' and hearts beat fastEverybody thought that they'd breathed their last-'cept John

Through the dust and the smoke of this man-made hellWalked a giant of a man that the miners knew wellGrabbed a saggin' timber, gave out with a groanAnd like a giant oak tree he just stood there alone - Big JohnBig JohnBig JooooooohnBig Bad John

With all of his strength he gave a mighty shoveThen a miner yelled out "There's a light up above!"And twenty men scrambled from a would-be graveNow there's only one left down there to save - Big John

With jacks and timbers they started back downThen came that rumble way down in the groundAnd then smoke and gas belched out of that mineEverybody knew it was the end of the line for Big JohnBig JohnBig JooooooohnBig Bad John

Now they never reopened that worthless pitThey just placed a marble stand in front of itThese few words are written on that standAt the bottem of this mine lies a big, big man - Big JohnBig JohnBig JooooooohnBig Bad John